


Stay

by Anonymous



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Homophobia, Jongin became a spirit guide, M/M, Murder, Taemin is a Little Shit, after he was scammed, ghost Minseok, graphic violence but not too graphic, platonic Jongin/Minseok, you barely see it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 14:48:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21163409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: When Jongin scored his apartment with a price that seemed too good to be true, he didn't think twice before moving in. Everyone in the neighborhood knew why the apartment had been empty for the past 30 years. He was the only one who didn't get the memo apparently.





	Stay

**Author's Note:**

> When I first signed up for this exchange, I was so excited to deliver this. But then life happened and I was left with so little time T_T I hope its still a story that readers will enjoy and I will work on it again after reveals.  
Hope you enjoy!

Jongin closed his car door and turned to look at the building that housed his new home. He still couldn’t believe that he had managed to score the awesome apartment for almost a steal. “But I did it. And it’s mine.” He said with a smile. He heard another vehicle pulling over next to his and the plump real estate agent that got him the apartment jumped out.

“Oh you have arrived Mr. Kim! Lovely, are you ready to receive the keys to your shiny new home?”

"Hello Mrs. Lee. Yes, I am. Once again thank you so much. I still can’t believe it was still available. The neighborhood is amazing, the place is huge... How come no-one wanted it?” Mrs. Lee was about to answer when she was cut off by a young man coming out of the small convenience store that was hid in a nook under the building.

“It’s because it’s haunted. Everybody in the neighborhood knows it. You didn’t tell him auntie?” he asked with a suspicious look. Jongin looked back and forth between the young man and Mrs. Lee who seemed to become more flustered by the second if her reddening face was a give away.

“Stop spluttering nonsense Taemin! Go back inside, I’m sure you have something better to be doing.”

“Mrs. Lee what does he mean by haunted?” now Jongin was intrigued.

“Nothing!” she rushed, “Like I said, nonsense. Here are your keys. The contract is signed and the apartment is paid for so you can’t back out now. Have a nice day Mr. Kim.” And with that she was out with the wind and back in her own car. Who would have known the woman could be that fast.

“Wow she really didn’t tell you huh?” the man asked as he saw Mrs. Lee driving away. “I’m Taemin by the way. Mrs. Lee is my aunt and my grandfather owned the building and grocery store before he passed away. I live on the floor below yours.” He introduced himself lending his hand to Jongin who shook it

“I’m Jongin. And what exactly didn’t she tell me?” at this point, he wasn’t really sure he wanted to know.

“The previous owner died in the apartment. Murdered.” Taemin replied with an eerie smile. Jongin couldn’t help but feel a shiver down his spine. He looked back up at the innocent windows and remembered the apartment visit a month prior. The place looked nothing like a crime scene.

“A murder?”

“Yep. Thirty years ago. No one in my family wants to live in it so they have been trying to sell it ever since.” Taemin also looked up the wide third floor windows. “Sometimes I hear the floorboards creaking at night. Some scary shit man.” Taemin said with a shudder.

Well, if that didn’t dampen Jongin’s mood about his new place nothing else would. He couldn’t help but frown at the situation but there was nothing he could do now. Maybe he could get a lawyer to pursue the fact that the real estate agent failed to tell him that there had been a murder in the apartment. But how much would that cost him?

He sighed dejectedly already feeling his gut twist with the hassle of dealing with the inconvenience and shook his shoulders. “I’ll deal with Mrs. Lee later then. I should probably start moving these in before it gets late.” He pointed at the boxes in his trunk.

“Need a hand with that? I wouldn’t want you missing meeting your ghost roommate.” Taemin said cheekily. Jongin was already feeling that his neighbor was going to be a handful.

“Dude stop messing around and help me with this.” He answered with a smile as he picked up a box with all his kitchen items and entered the building.

“I’m just saying…”

The newly acquainted boys were so busy messing with each other that they failed to see the curtains of the third floor fluttering gently, as if a curious soul had been peeking through the window at their antics.

\--*--

Despite now knowing the past that harbored his new apartment, living in it was turning out to be quite uneventful. He left early in the morning, taught jazz and ballet all day and when he came home he went straight to bed. Body too tired and brain too hazy to take into account his surroundings. Sleep knocking him out unconscious in less than twenty minutes.

His neighbors still shook their heads when they saw him exiting the building and he could still hear them whispering about his situation. The only one who dared to be loud was Taemin.

“So, have you gotten acquainted with your ghost roomie yet?” he asked when he found Jongin grabbing his favorite spicy chicken ramen in his grandfather’s convenience store.

“Will you drop it already? It’s getting old dude.” Jongin said has he handed his items to the bored part time student handling the cash register.

“Well, you never stop at home so maybe that’s the reason you too haven’t warmed up to each other.”

“Bye Taemin. Go get a job instead of spending your family’s money.” He said over his shoulder.

Today for the first time in months he was given Friday evening and the weekend off. He wasn’t going to spend it listening to his neighbor’s nonsense. First, a hot shower was due and then his dinner of spicy ramen.

When he finally sat down in his beat up leather couch, he was so tired that he didn’t even feel himself falling asleep. Only when he felt a cold breeze caressing his face and waking him up.

“Wha-?” Jongin scrunched his face looking accusingly at his living room window. Which was in fact properly closed; just like he left it this morning. He sat up on the couch trying to find an explanation to the cold touch he could now feel touching his neck.

Maybe lack of proper insulation? It was getting colder and he did leave in an old building. Was the heating acting up? Because he was actually kind of broke. All his money was gone and-

“…min?”

Jongin turned his head to the side, nearly twisting his neck. Was he going crazy?

“Changmin is it you?” he heard again, now more clear than before.

It was a joke. It had to be a joke. Taemin was for sure behind this, that annoying fucker.

“Ok Taemin, nice try. I’ll even pretend I’m kind of scared.” He said to the walls.

“You’re back! You do love me!” he heard again. This had to be a joke.

“Uh Taemin… stop it…” Jongin no longer felt so confident. He was hearing voices.

“Changmin, I knew you would come back! Why did you take so long?”

And then he saw it. Standing next to his bookshelf as it became clearer and clearer. Legs, a torso, arms. And finally a face. A young looking face that was staring at him earnestly.

Jongin’s voice got stuck in his throat. There was no way he was seeing what he was seeing. As the “shape” slowly approached him, he pushed back into his couch almost as if he wanted it to swallow him and send him to a whole different dimension away from his living room. Which he was now sharing with A GHOST!

“Fuck, fuck, fuck…” he squeezed his eyes shut in fear. He could feel the cold touch on his now sweating face.

“You’re not Changmin…” the voice said. Jongin opened one eye and saw another set of curious eyes looking back at him.

“No…” Jongin squeaked.

“Then why are you in our house? Get out or I will call the police.” the voice said angrily. If Jongin was scared a few minutes ago, he is shitting his pants now.

“Please don’t hurt me I-“ the dancer started. Until he registered what the ghost said. “Wait, what do you mean ‘our’ house?”

“I live here with my lover, Changmin. And you are trespassing. I’m calling Mr. Lee and the police if you don’t leave.”

Jongin faced the man who was slowly becoming more defined to his eyes. His face looked just like that of a cat’s, including the tiny button nose.

“Mr. Lee...he’s dead…”

“No he’s not. He lives downstairs with his wife. I was with him just this morning congratulating him for his son’s marriage.”

Jongin looked at him confused… Was he not aware? “What year is it?” he asked the man who looked confused.

“It’s 1989…”

Jongin stood in shock. This…ghost… didn’t even know he was dead! “Oh no…”

“What?”

“That was…thirty years ago…”

\--*--

Honestly, Jongin thought that if he ever found out his house was actually haunted, he would be freaking out for way longer than 15 minutes. But surprisingly, he’s kind of… chill about it. Maybe due to the fact that he kind of feels sorry for the ghost; who introduced himself as Minseok. He was sitting on his couch watching the other walk back and forth in his living room. Even saw him cross a wall once but he preferred to not point that out.

After Jongin tentatively told him that they were actually living thirty years in the future and that he was in reality dead, Minseok refused to believe him. Insisting that his boyfriend was on his way to meet him.

“You don’t understand! I can’t be dead! Changmin and I are finally going to go live in America where we can be together without hiding!” Minseok shouted with tears running down his face. “He was scared of coming out to his family but he said he could do it so he went to see his parents…”

“Did he give you a call? Or tell you when he would be back?” Jongin asked.

“No. But he will be back…He said he would. He loved me.” Minseok affirmed.

Jongin sat silent as he saw the different emotions passing through Minseok’s face as the other kept muttering ‘He loved me.’ But still slightly disturbed that he could see the other side of his living room through him.

“What’s his full name? I’ll look him up; maybe he’s still alive.” He picked up his phone and logged on to Naver. Minseok shuffled closer to him.

“What is that? What do you mean you’re going to look Changmin up? Is that a future thing? Can you look me up?” Minseok asked curious as he attempted to touch Jongin’s iPhone but had his finger go through the device.

“It means I will look for him on Naver and see- Just give me his name.”

“Shim Changmin.” Minseok answered as he watched the dancer type the name on the screen.

“Wait. Shim Changmin? THE Shim Changmin? This is your Changmin?” Jongin turned the screen to show the other a picture of the man who basically owned half the country’s IT industry.

Minseok gasped as he looked at the picture of his lover. “It’s him! Where is he? He’s alive? You need to take me to him Jongin maybe he doesn’t know I died and is waiting for me.” He begged as Jongin kept scrolling down the screen.

“Minseok, I don’t think he’s waiting…” he said as he showed him a picture of the CEO and his wife taken just the previous day. “He’s married.”

“No. He can’t be married. He loved me! He said we would be together! HE SAID HE WOULD COME BACK TO ME!”

Jongin felt the ground and his furniture shake as the ghost got angrier and angrier.

“HE PROMISED!” Minseok roared.

“Minseok! Please calm down you are scaring me. Please!”

Minseok breathed heavily. Jongin couldn’t help but really feel for him. He was murdered and the love of his life was happily married. Did this Changmin guy cry for Minseok? Better yet, was he aware?

“Look me up now Jongin. I need to know what happened to me.”

“Are you su-”

“DO IT!” Jongin flinched as he felt his chair shake and obeyed.

Jongin quickly typed ‘Kim Minseok murder’ and waited for the page to load. A number links popped up and Jongin went to the first that had a vintage photo of his building and gasped when more gruesome photos popped up. Images of what he recognized as his kitchen showed bloody walls and floors. Whoever killed Minseok had not spared him.

“Can you read it for me?” Minseok asked.

“_Kim Minseok, 24, was found in his Hapjeong apartment which he shared with his roommate Min for the past six months. The landlord, Mr. Lee, found Mr. Kim in his kitchen floor after he had heard strange noises coming from the apartment. Kim Minseok showed severe blunt trauma to the head, which has been ruled as the primary cause of death. Police has not yet been able to reach the roommate or Mr. Kim’s family.” _

Jongin was silent waiting for a reaction from the ghost.

“Did they find the one who killed me?” Minseok asked. Jongin scrolled looking for more recent articles.

“They closed the case fifteen years ago. Says here that they identified it as a neighborhood robbery because the door was left open and all your money and valuables were taken. They never found the culprit.” He said looking at the other with sad eyes.

Minseok fell to the floor dejected.

“Who did this to me?”

\--*--

When Jongin woke up on his couch the next morning, he felt his head throb with pain. As he opened his eyes, pieces of the previous night came to him. He quickly looked around his living room as if expecting something to jump at him.

“Maybe it was just a dream. Of course it was. Ghosts don’t exist. I’ve been super tired so my brain has been messing with me. That’s it.” He said convincing himself.

He entered his kitchen to prepare some tea and saw the forgotten packet of spicy chicken ramen on the counter. He chuckled to himself; he really must have been tired the previous night. He didn’t even have dinner. Jongin pulled his favorite puppy mug from the top cabinet and turned to grab his favorite lemon tea from the pantry.

“HOLY SHIT!” he screamed. Surprisingly he didn’t drop his mug in fear. Because there he was, the ghost from his dreams.

“Good morning to you too.” Minseok said in fake cheer.

“It was a dream! Ghosts don’t exist!” Jongin recited.

“And yet here I am.” The ghost huffs and settles on the couch. Jongin stays frozen in his kitchen with his mug still cradled to his chest.

The following mornings were similar to the first: Jongin would wake up, remember a ghost was living with him, sometimes he would still scream in shock. Other times he would barely sleep just thinking there was a spirit roaming his apartment. Taemin kept making his very unfunny jokes that were even less funny now that the issue was real.

“You look tired. Long night conversations with your ghost roommate?” he had asked one morning. Jongin flipped him off and got in his car. He could hear the other laugh out loud as he attempted to start his car with eyes closed. He was so tired.

“Don’t ghosts just…move on to the afterlife?” Jongin asked Minseok one night. The other barely let him sleep; always wallowing in the hallways.

“I don’t know. I didn’t even know I was dead.” Minseok replied from where he was laying on his bedroom floor.

“Do you remember what you did before…?”

Minseok looked up in thought. “I remember pencils… Rulers?”

“An artist?” the dancer suggested.

“No…” the ghost said unsure.

While Minseok tried to remember more about his living life, Jongin set out to look for some answers in his trusted NAVER app. He searched the words ghost and spirit to see what came up.

**Why do ghosts haunt houses?**

**Why don’t spirits move on?**

**Do ghosts remember their past life?**

**Ghosts don’t move on if they were victms of murder! Read more.**

The last one particularly caught Jongin’s attention. The forum entry stated that the spirit of someone who had been murdered was highly likely of roaming the world of the living seeking justice for its death.

“Minseok are you seeking justice for your death?” he asked out of the blue.

“I already told you-“

“You didn’t know you were dead, I know. But here it says that maybe you are still here because you want justice for what happened; like a spiteful spirit. Maybe you didn’t know but you did? Unconsciously?”

“And how exactly would I do that? I don’t know who killed me.” Minseok answered.

“We could try looking for clues? If you remember something from your life that we could start with.” Jongin suggested.

Minseok still had a hard time remembering solid things from when he was alive. Suddenly he gasped pointing at Jongin’s diploma on the wall. “Hongik! I remember that name! What is it?”

“It’s an university. It’s actually close to here. Do you think you studied there?”

“I think so; with Changmin. I still think we should find him. Maybe he knows what happened.”

“But he is a very important person, I doubt we could just walk inside SHIM IT and demand to see him.” Jongin reasoned. “Do you mind if I get some sleep? I have to teach class very early tomorrow.”

\--*--

Since the only way to free his house from the ghost was to help it, Jongin decided to go out and look for clues to uncover what actually happened to Minseok.

He started by going to the Hongik University’s registrar office to seek for some information. “He was my mother’s brother. Unfortunately he passed away after his studies and my grandparents were too heartbroken to come by and get his diploma.” He said giving the older lady behind the desk his saddest face.

“Oh no that is so sad! Let me see what I can find on him.” She said clicking on the keyboard in front of her. “I see a Kim Minseok here. He graduated from the Architecture department is that correct?”

“Uh…” he said unsure. What if that was another Kim Minseok? But he remembered Minseok mentioning pencils and rulers. “Yes…?”

“I have him right here; class of 89. Diploma was never picked up. Would you like to take it now?”

“You still have it?” Jongin asked shocked.

“Yes, it’s in the archives.” The lady answered.

And this is how Jongin found himself with a crying Minseok. Again.

“I remember now, I was going to become an architect. It was my dream. I graduated top of my class.” The ghost sobbed as he looked at the piece of paper Jongin had brought home.

“Did you have any enemies?”

“No…” Minseok said using his sweater sleeve to wipe his tears. Jongin had never noticed how the other was always dressed in the same pristine white attire. Almost like an angel.

“Do you remember your friends? Any close friends?” the dancer asked. The ghost stood still looking at his diploma. He had his whole life ahead of him and someone destroyed it.

He tried remembering the time he was alive. He could hear laughs. A faint ‘Minseok-ah!’ rang in his ears.

“Jun…?” he said tentatively as he now “Myeonju? Jumeon? Junm…Junmyeon! Kim Junmyeon!” Minseok said excited. As if he hadn’t been crying for the past ten minutes.

‘Bipolar much…’ Jongin thought.

“Kim Junmyeon! My childhood friend… “ Minseok thought fondly. “We wanted to open an architect firm together. But that was before I met Changmin…”

“Well we can look him up!” Jongin said logging in to his handy dandy Naver app. “Let’s see… Kim Junmyeon architect…”

“That little thing of yours knows everything. What is it called again?” the ghost asked curious.

“A cellphone. Alright, do you recognize anyone here?” he asked scrolling down his phone through the various ‘Kim Junmyeons’.

“Wait do it again.” Minseok asked. Jongin scrolled down. “No, the other way. Slowly.” Jongin did as instructed. “Stop.”

Minseok stared at the photo of two smiling men on the screen. The caption said they were celebrating the fifth anniversary of their company.

“Chanyeol. Junmyeon and Chanyeol.” The ghost said.

“Your friends?”

“Almost like my brothers. Junmyeon became my family when I had nobody.”

Jongin sighed and prepared to make use of his sick days one more time.

“Do you want me to go see him?” he asked the ghost. “I can ask him if he knows anything. Or where your urn is.”

“Would you do that Jongin?” Minseok asked expectantly.

“Yeah, yeah. But you owe me one.” He said charging his price.

Minseok laughed. “Yeah, I’ll save you a spot in heaven. If I ever get there.” He promised.

Jongin had never seen Minseok smile since the other appeared to him. It was a good change from the sad eyes he had all the time.

Walking in the ‘KK&P Architects’ building was very intimidating. The place seemed very refined and everyone was dressed in their best attire. Jongin felt out of place in his ripped jeans and old oversized hoodie.

“Could I possibly speak with Mr. Kim Junmyeon?” he asked when he reached the reception

“Do you have an appointment with him?” the receptionist asked.

“No, but it’s important. He was really good friends with my uncle Minseok who passed away. I just had some questions.” The dancer explained using the same ‘uncle’ excuse.

The woman looked suspicious but picked up the phone to signal her boss anyway. When she said the name Minseok, he could hear the man on the other side sound surprised. The receptionist nodded and hung up the phone.

“You may go up. It’s on the third floor.”

The elevator doors opened smoothly and gave way to an open plan office. At the end was a bigger office with clear walls where an older man was writing notes on a long piece of paper. He knocked on the door before he walked in. Kim Junmyeon lifted his head to welcome him.

“You must be Jongin. Are you really Minseok’s nephew?” he asked. He looked quite young despite being in his fifties. Reminded Jongin of his own father.

“No I’m not. I… I bought his apartment without knowing about his story. I found out after and I just wanted to know who would kill him so brutally. He’s such a good person- I mean was. I mean he looks…like…he was.” Jongin cringed. What was his excuse to justify knowing a dead person?

“And how did you find me?” Kim Junmyeon asked suspicious.

“Uh… a picture. Under… the uhm… floorboards. It had your name in the back.” That was really pulled from his butt.

Junmyeon squinted at the young man but smiled in the end. “What would you like to know?”

Well that was a good question. Jongin didn’t know where to start. He should have asked Minseok for some tips. “Does his boyfriend from the time know he’s dead?”

Junmyeon stood silent before he answered, “How do you know he had boyfriend? Was that on the back of the photo too?”

Jongin winced. Maybe that was not the way to go.

“He was the last person to see Minseok and we haven’t talked to him since he died.” Junmyeon continued anyways “He does know he died.”

“Was he sad?”

“He had better be.” Junmyeon’s jaw hardened at the words. Jongin could still see hurt plaguing the man’s eyes. Even after thirty years.

“Who would have hurt him like that? He seems- from the picture I mean, he seems so sweet. I saw the photos online. Whoever did that…” jongin couldn’t even finish his sentence. There was a picture on the bookshelf where he could see a younger Junmyeon, Minseok and another boy with large ears.

“The second K in KK&P is for him. In his honor.” Junmyeon joined Jongin.

“He wanted to have an architecture firm…”

“You sure know a lot about Minseok for someone who is just ‘curious’.” Junmyeon mused. 

“Can you tell me where he is resting? I would like to pay my respects.”

“Sure. But only if you tell him I miss him.” The architect bartered.

Jongin was shocked and confused. “What do you mean?”

“I mean when you go pay your respects. Tell him I miss him.” Mr Kim said as he wrote down the address of the funerary home.

“Yeah… of course. I knew that.”

Still Kim Junmyeon looked at him like he had meant something completely different by the way he looked at him.

\--*--

“Try stepping out of the house.” Jongin urged. He looked down the hallway to see if anyone had heard him. He would probably look like a crazy man talking to himself.

“What if I disappear?” Minseok asked worried. He looked at that doorframe as if it would burn him to ashes if he dared to cross to the other side.

“Well I guess you will never know. Didn’t you want to see where your body lays?”

Minseok grunted throwing a tiny tantrum. Jongin would even say he looked very cute for a fifty-year-old ghost. He relented and moved towards Jongin on the other side. He clenched his eyes and jumped to the other side. “Can you still see me?” he asked with his eyes still closed.

“Yes hyung. Now let’s go.”

“You never called me hyung!” Minseok said surprised walking alongside his human roommate “Are you warming up to already?”

“Let’s just go.” Jongin refused to answer. But deep inside he knew that no longer minded the fact that he had a ghost living in his house.

When they reached the funerary home, Jongin scanned the names of the deceased looking for Minseok’s urn. After going around in circles, he failed to find it.

“Is it really here?” he heard Minseok ask behind him.

“That’s what Mr. Kim said. I could go ask.” Jongin knocked at the office door and asked for directions towards Kim Minseok’s urn.

“Are you his family too?” she questioned as she motioned him to follow her.

“Pardon?”

“Or are you with the other man? The one that comes here every day.” She led them towards a set of stairs leading to a nearly empty second floor.

It looked like a private space, only one urn taking the entire wall space.

“Him over there.” The lady pointed to a man who was on his knees with his head bowed in front of what Jongin could see was Minseok’s picture. He looked exactly the same as the ghost that followed him except he had a blinding smile. It seemed that the whole space was reserved for Minseok’s remains.

Minseok gasped and walked right through the funeral home employee that stood next to Jongin. The dancer flinched; he hated when Minseok did that.

“Jongin it’s him! Changmin, my love.” Minseok sobbed. He reached out to the man who could not seem him.

Jongin tried to find a way to get the young lady to leave. “Yeah…he’s my… uncle. The dead guy was his best friend.” He really needed to come up with better excuses.

The employee nodded in understanding. “They must have been really close. I’ve been working here two years now and he never misses a visit.” She turned to leave Jongin alone.

Jongin watched from afar as Minseok’s spirit tried in vain to make itself present to the man, Changmin. The older was quiet with his eyes closed until a few words came out.

“Minseok…” he said in a hoarse voice. Minseok gasped surprised thinking that the other could finally see him. “I am so sorry my love. I didn’t mean it. I live with the pain every day. I should have died instead.”

“What…what does he mean?” Minseok asked. Changmin was still not aware that Jongin was present in the room with him.

“I am so sorry Minseok.” Changmin said again.

“Babe what-“ and then he remembered as he saw the older man's crying face. He remembered everything. Changmin’s face when he walked into the kitchen that night thirty years ago. He remembered when he saw his own baseball bat coming towards him. He remembered-

“He killed me.” Minseok stated in shock; making Jongin wide eyed as well. “He killed me. He did it.” The man’s anger started shaking the windows of the funeral home making Changmin raise his head.

Wind blew in the room strongly shaking the doors and the picture frames of other deceased.

“HE KILLED ME!” Minseok screamed.

“Minseok calm down.” Jongin advised. His voice made the older man in the room turn and acknowledge his presence.

“Who are you? What is going on?” he stood up scared. Jongin looked at the tall man. He was surely in his early fifties but he looked like he had lived two times over. His face showed deep lines of fatigue and weariness.

“Minseok. He is enraged. All this time he thought you were the love of his life and you killed him?”

“Minseok? What do you mean Minseok? He’s-“ Changmin raised his hands to his neck abruptly as if he was being chocked. Jongin noticed the ghost had his hand risen cutting the man’s air supply.

“If you want to die so bad, let me help you.” Minseok’s eyes turned red. Jongin had never seen the spirit this way. He was indeed a spiteful spirit like the shaman had said. “Jongin get out. I have unfinished business with this man. Thirty years pending to be exact” The ghost turned to Jongin. “Thank you for everything. But you must leave now.”

“Minseok no! You are better than this! You can still move on peacefully.” Jongin pleaded as he saw Changmin’s face turn purple with the lack of air.

“Jongin go. I don’t want you to see this. Go home. Live well my friend.” Minseok’s voice had gotten distorted. Sounding almost demonic rather then the gentle tone it used to have.

Jongin nodded and rushed down the stairs. Honestly he was scared shitless. The funerary home was being evacuated as the wind continued to get in aggressively.

“Boy where is your uncle? Is he still up there?” the female employee asked as she continued to bring everyone out.

“No he already left.” Jongin rushed outside with everyone else. He stopped to look back at the funerary home and looked to the second floor window. Unless his eyes were betraying him, he could now see two young men in a deep argument that is until one reached out to hug the other that was resisting.

Slowly, the violent winds calmed down and the sun started shining brightly.

Whatever had just happened, he hoped that his friend was now able to rest in piece.

“I hope you will be well wherever you go Minseok.” Jongin said as farewell to his ‘ghost roommate’. Taemin would never believe him if he were ever to tell him what had been going on over his roof for the past four months.

_Prologue_

1989

The first time Changmin saw Minseok, he was walking across the quad in Hongik University’s campus. He couldn’t help but stopping when he saw the other laugh with his friends. His whole face scrunched up when the he smiled and Changmin couldn’t help smiling along despite not knowing what the other was laughing about.

“Changmin why did you stop? We have class in five minutes.” His friend Yunho pulled him by the arm.

“Oh… yeah… we should…we should go…” he said walking along but still without taking his eyes off the boy.

Yunho simply shook his head at his friend’s weirdness.

Changmin kept seeing the boy on campus. He still didn’t know his name but it seemed that he was in the Architecture department since he was often seated at the steps of the building with his friends. Or other times he saw him carrying around small scale models.

Honestly he never knew if he would have the courage to approach the boy. Wouldn’t it be strange? A man proclaiming his feelings to another man? If anyone heard him he would be shamed. Changmin agreed with himself that the best thing to do would be to stay quiet and carry on with his life. Those butterflies he felt whenever he saw the other would go away soon enough.

What he didn’t know however was that life had other plans for him.

As a teacher’s assistant for his Asian Economics class, Changmin often helped other students with some troubleshooting in his professor’s office. He sat in his own desk in the office; he raised his head when someone knocked on the door gently.

“Yes, can I-” he started and the he realized who was standing in front of him. “Hi!” he said as if out of breath.

“Hello. Uhm, I’m Minseok. Is Dr. Choi in today?”

Minseok. So that was his name. Minseok. It suited him very well. He looked so soft in his cream cable knit sweater and his black hair falling on his eyes.

“Hello?” Minseok repeated.

“Uh… yes! I mean no. No. He’s not here yet.” Changmin answered shyly. Minseok nodded. They both stood there in silence. “Can I help you with something maybe?”

“I just wanted some information on his course. I have to take it next semester. As an elective.” Minseok answered.

“I can help with that. I have taken this class and I am Dr. Choi’s TA. I’ll be there next semester as well. I can give you some tips if you want?” Changmin proposed. Why he did that? He’s not entirely sure.

“Oh, that would be lovely.” The other readily agreed with a smile.

“I’m leaving the office now but we can go to the campus coffee shop.” Changmin stood up hurriedly and stuffed his backpack with his books. Some of them fell back out in the process and he could hear Minseok giggling.

“Let me help.” He said as he picked up the fallen International Business notes that fell out of Changmin’s folder. They were both reaching for the last sheet of paper when Changmin’s hand touched Minseok’s. They looked at each other in surprise. Changmin could feel the heat travelling to his cheeks and he could also notice the pretty pink blooming on Minseok’s. He quickly retracted his hand from the other’s.

“I’m sorry. I’m so clumsy sometimes.”

“Don’t worry.” Minseok waved his hand dismissing the apology. ”So, campus coffee shop?”

What was supposed to be a simple advice relay slowly became more than that. The first excuse to meet up regularly for coffee was that Changmin was interested in architecture and would love for Minseok to tell him what he did. Then suddenly, Minseok was _really_ intrigued about the company Changmin’s father had built and how they were turning to new inventions.

“How do you use a computer?” Minseok had asked with shiny eyes. Changmin couldn’t deny answering.

And with frequent meetings came fleeting hand touches and then hugs and then hidden kisses shared under the dark stairway of the Business and Economics building.

Changmin was in love; the feeling had to be called by its name. However he knew in the back of his mind that he had to hide this beautiful thing he had with Minseok from his family and close friends. The other seemed to live his life freely with no barriers and never caring what others thought. When he reached for Changmin’s hand when they walked together on campus he would do it with no shame even if the other showed himself sometimes hesitant.

Changmin saw the looks they sometimes received when Minseok stood close to him. Way closer than any two regular guys their age would stand even if they were close friends. It was inevitable for whispers to start running around the campus. Minseok was either oblivious to them or just ignoring them. And if they reached the faculty, they would definitely reach his father; he didn’t yet know what to do if he was found out.

They found a solution to be able to spend more time together away from curious eyes: Changmin had moved in with him in his Hapjeong apartment as his “roommate”. Minseok noticed however that the other looked over his shoulder more and more whenever they were out. He decided to finally confront him about it.

“What is going on Min? Tell me the truth,” he had asked Changmin once they reached their apartment after an afternoon out.

“I- My family doesn’t know about me…” he revealed.

“What do you mean?” Minseok kneeled in front of Changmin.

“They don’t know I am like this. That I like men. If they find out…” Changmin stood abruptly and paced in the living room.

“Should we…break up?” Minseok asked pained.

“No! No. It will be ok. We will be together.” Changmin assured the other “I love you Minseok.”

And with that promise, Changmin swore that he would find a way to live his love with Minseok. No matter what.

Their final plan was to move to America once they both graduated and the days leading up to day were passing fast.

Minseok had stated that his family refused to be associated ever since he declared to them that he would not marry their neighbors’ daughter because he would rather marry their son. But Changmin still had to tell his family. He had decided to meet them the weekend before their departure.

“Minseok, I have to say goodbye to my family. I will be back soon.” Changmin said at the door.

“Good luck.” Minseok wished as he saw his boyfriend leave.

Changmin didn’t even need to walk to the nearest subway station; in front of the entrance of the building was parked a sleek black car that he knew very well. What was it doing there?

“Young Master Changmin. Your father awaits you.” his childhood driver stated.

“Driver Song. It’s alright, I’ll go to the house by myself.”

“Young Master, CEO Shim has requested you at the main office.” The driver insists. Changmin has no choice but to follow the orders and get in the car. He never meets his father at the company so why is he asking to meet him there?

He suddenly starts dreading his meeting with his father. Had he heard? Did he know that he planned on fleeing?

The ride up the elevator had his heart beating too fast in his ribcage. This was it. He entered his father’s office with a false sense of confidence.

“Father, I have something to tell you.” He stated when he entered. He could hear his own voice shake.

His father scoffed rising from behind his desk. “You think I don’t know already? That my own son is a freak?” he said disgusted. “You know I have acquaintances in Hongik and yet you go around with that little bitch in front of everybody! RUINING MY REPUTATION!” he screamed.

Changmin felt a tear rush down his face. “I love him father. And I…I will stay with him.” His body was still trembling in fear.

“No you won’t.” CEO Shim walked towards his son. He was an imposing man. Stood as tall as his son. “Not if I kill him first.” With a movement of his hand, a man Changmin hadn’t seen standing next to the door nodded and walked towards the exit.

Changmin’s stomach filled with dread. No. His father wouldn’t-

“I’LL DO IT!” he screamed as he fell to his knees. Changmin sobbed at his father’s feet. “Father please don’t… I’ll do it. I’ll…I’ll _kill him._” He could hear his father laugh above him. It sounded so bitter to his ears.

The journey to the apartment he shared with Minseok was a blur. When he finally came to himself, he was standing in front of their door. His trembling hand put the key in the lock and he let himself in.

“Min?” he heard Minseok’s voice call for him as he walked towards him. He could feel his own chest thrum as he sobbed silently.

“Changmin is that you?” the other asked again, his voice echoing from the kitchen.

Changmin walked to the kitchen, picking up along the way his boyfriend’s precious baseball bat.

“Changmin? What-“

“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I love you. So much.” Minseok looked at him confused. Why was his boyfriend was crying?

“Babe what-“

And then Changmin swinged. One time and then two. He sees his lover bleeding on their kitchen floor; his own tears mixing with the blood.

In a fleeting craze, he ran to the drawers in search of anything that could cut him. Anything that would make him pay for what he just did. He couldn’t forgive himself.

He found Minseok’s favorite sashimi knife and raised it to stab his own stomach. Another hand stopped his before the blade could meet its target.

“Your father wants you back alive Young Master. Drop the knife.” Driver Song pressured his hand into dropping the knife and pulled him out of the kitchen. He stifled his screams with a hand over his mouth to avoid any attention from the neighbors.

Changmin was dragged by his driver into the car and driven away from his apartment.

“MINSEOK!” he screamed in agony. Sadness. Anger.

From that day on, Changmin lived as a dead man walking.

**Author's Note:**

> Short epilogue:  
Jongin walked back inside his house after the craziest afternoon only to see a man sitting on his beat up leather couch.  
"Uhh.. who are you?"  
The man stood up and looked at him. He skin looked pale, almost translucent. Just like...  
"Oh God no..." he threw his had back. Just how many murders had happened in this apartment?  
"Are you Jongin? I heard you help murdered spirits get justice."  
"One! I helped one spirit!"  
The ghost had an angry bruise around his neck. Jongin unconsciously touched his own. That looked painful.  
"Please, I need to know who killed me." The man pleaded with shiny eyes.  
"Fine." Jongin sighed. He pulled out his phone and logged in on NAVER. "What's your name?"  
"Do Kyungsoo." the ghost answered.  
"Any memories from your past life?"  
"A few..."  
"Then let's start with that."


End file.
